


Everyone Has Somebody

by daydreamer_80303



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, FUCK ENDGAME EVERYONE LIVES, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Hogan is a Good Bro, Helen Cho - Freeform, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Peter Parker Angst, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Poor Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, i have no clue how to write angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 17:01:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20604236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamer_80303/pseuds/daydreamer_80303
Summary: After Tony recovers from snapping, Peter keeps his distance. It takes a gunshot wound for Tony to find out why.





	Everyone Has Somebody

**Author's Note:**

> i was in a pretty bad place when i wrote this story, and some of peter's self doubt mirrors my own. i'm assuming helen cho has a clinic in new york.   
comments and kudos are welcome! :)  
check out my other works and my long fic 'anything but temporary'  
love  
daydreamer_80303

Three weeks after the battle against Thanos, things were slowly returning to a semblance of what they were before. OK, Tony now walked around with a prosthetic arm (Rhodey joked that he and Barnes should start a club) and Morgan was gonna start school soon, and he hadn’t talked to Peter since he woke up, but yeah. Normal. 

He didn’t know what he had done. Peter had been there, anxiously worrying when Tony had come out of a coma, carefully balancing Morgan on his hip; a sight that Tony thought he’d never get to see. After making sure Tony was OK, though, he’d gone back home and hadn’t come back. Tony was devastated. Five whole years, he’d waited, and the kid just evaded him. He’d tried turning his misery into anger (he did nothing, after all. It wasn’t his fault.) but that didn’t work. All his brain supplied was: you failed him the first time, what did you expect, idiot? That he’d come running back, waving his tail? 

He missed the incessant chatter and minute-to-minute analysis of high school life the kid had supplied him with. The giddy optimism. The ice cream get togethers. The endless tales of New Yorkers being their stupid selves. Pepper said to give him time. He’d been dead, after all. Maybe he was still coping. But Tony knew that wasn’t it. The kid could break his ankle and run for a mission the second he’d get back up. 

They were staying in Manhattan for now, until he could finish partially overseeing the reconstruction of the Avengers Compound. The Compound was incinerated but the Tower was bought back, and Tony, his wife and his daughter occupied the penthouse floor, with a stunning view of the sprawling city below. It was great, actually. Maguna loved the elevator; she’d ride for hours if (when) Happy wasn’t watching. The convenience of fast food and all other glorious city-exclusive things (like Uber Eats) was also a plus point, but all Tony could think about was how five years ago, in the same fucking building, he’d offered Peter a chance to join the Avengers and he’d nobly said no. 

One fine evening, after continuously picking up and dropping his phone about five times, Tony decided to call him. Someone had to be the adult here, after all. (If Peter were here, he’d joke that Tony never was the adult in their relationship.) The phone rang one. Twice. Thrice. Four times. Tony was about to cut when someone finally picked up.

“Hello?” It was the tired voice of one May Parker. 

“May?” He couldn’t help the surprise his voice gave away. 

“Stark.”

“Hey, um, I was wondering if I could talk to Peter? Where is he, anyways?”

"You don't know?” It was May’s turn to be surprised. 

“Tell me what?” A note of panic crept into Tony’s voice. If something had happened to his kid…

“Oh. There was a bank robbery this afternoon. He got shot. Happy’s here, so I supposed you didn’t wanna be—“ 

“Don’t you finish that sentence.” He breathed, already picking up his coat and running. “Don’t ever say that.”

“What, Stark? Why aren’t you here, then?”

“Because nobody fucking told me! He’s supposed to have a bunch of alerts in his suit too, when he’s in considerable danger, but I suppose him and his nerd friend Ted have removed that.”

“Ned,” May corrected, and suddenly his heart was stopping. Peter always did that. 

“May,” he said, desperately trying to make her understand. “I didn’t know. You’ve gotta believe me. I didn’t know, the kid’s been distant these past couple weeks. I’m on my way, is he alright?”

She seemed to understand, because her tone softened considerably. “He’s stable. On a lot of pain meds. Helen Cho really knows what she’s doing.”

“You’re at Helen Cho’s clinic?” Tony said, not quite believing it. Why hadn’t she told him either?

He got into a car and it purred to life. “I’m driving, May. Tell him I’m coming. I want to talk to him.”

“OK Tony.” May said. “You two have to work this out.” 

“Of course. And May?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for not hanging up on me. I want to make this right. I would never hurt Peter. Never.”

“I know. Why do you think I’m letting you see him? Come on, Tony, and meet our kid.”

“I will.”

After that, he called to make sure Pepper was with Morgan. She was. Apparently Morgan had spotted a candy store and insisted on Cola gummy bears. 

“Should we come?” Pepper asked. 

“No, not yet.”

“Of course, honey.” Pepper understood. God, he loved that woman. 

He didn’t call Happy, though. That yelling session would be in person so the man would feel all his wrath sans phone to take away some of the effect.

Stopping at Cho’s clinic, Tony couldn’t be out of his seat fast enough. Peter was hurt, Peter was shot, and he didn’t know. He never knew. What kind of a parent was he? Why hadn’t Happy told him? Why hadn’t Cho? Why hadn’t May? Maybe they’d finally seen him for the basket case he was? He felt lucky that he had screwed Morgan up and he had Pepper to thank for that. His little girl couldn’t have turned out more perfect. 

He gingerly pushed open the door to see May and Happy sitting on a couch opposite Peter’s bed. Happy had an arm around May and was stroking her back comfortingly. When had that happened? Peter’s face was lax and peaceful in sleep. 

Happy turned around, saw Tony’s expression, and gulped. Good. 

“You.” He mouthed. “Out. Now.”

Happy raised his eyebrows but complied. Tony stopped once to stroke Peter’s hair back and see if his breaths were regular (they were) and had a brief conversation with May before following him out. 

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me my kid was shot? Shot, Happy. He was shot.”

“I know he was shot. I was the first to know. Karen called me.” 

“What? Karen’s supposed to call me.”

“I don’t know about that. All I know is that the kid called, asked to be taken to Cho’s place. I asked him why not the Tower but he insisted. He was bleeding out and shaking, and Cho’s was closer, so I brought him here.”

Tony tried to blot out the picture of a bled out Peter Parker. He couldn’t. He felt himself short of breath, all of a sudden. 

“Why didn’t he want to come to the Tower?” Tony wondered out loud.

“Don’t know, boss.” Happy looked at him sadly. “He just told me not to call you. I may say a lot of things, Tony, but I respect the kid’s word. He seemed to get more than adequate care here, so I figured I’d call you after he wakes up. So you don’t panic. Like you’re doing now.”

Right. Tony was panicking a little. He could feel the sweat easing it’s way down his forehead, and his heart beating erratically. 

Calm down, Tony, he told himself. Peter’s alright. (Was it weird that he thought in Rhodey’s voice?) 

“-ny. Tony, you need to sit down.” Happy’s voice filtered in. The other man put reassuring shoulders on Tony’s and guided him to the nearest chair, sitting him down. 

“Breathe with me, come on. Deep breaths, just like me. One. Two. There you go, you’re better now.” 

Tony exhaled, feeling himself come back to earth. Of course Happy would know how to ease him out of this; he’d done it god knows how many times by now. 

Right on time, May peeked her head out. “Tony, oh my god, are you alright?”

He nodded. “Just…it’s fine, never mind. Is he awake?”

“Yeah. Happy, you want a coffee?”

“More than anything.”

May stood to the side while Tony walked in, nodding at him encouragingly. He took a deep breath and walked in. 

“Mr Stark?” Peter looked at him, rubbing his eyes as if he couldn’t believe Tony was there. Tony ignored the pang of hurt that it brought. 

“In the flesh, kid. Now, what’s this I hear about you, a bank robbery, and a bullet?”

“Oh.” Peter attempted to smile, and it broke Tony’s heart. “It’s nothing, Mr Stark. You don’t need to, you know…”

“I don’t need to what, kid?” Tony asked. 

“You know, be here. You can go.” Peter looked down at his stomach. 

“Why on earth would I want to leave, buddy?” Tony asked, shocked. What was his kid thinking? 

Peter shook his head furiously, wiping at a tear. “Never mind, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry I got shot, Mr Stark.”

“Hey.” Tony tilted Peter’s chin up towards him. “No need to be sorry for anything. I’m glad to be here. Now, I want to know what’s on your mind, yeah? Why have you been ignoring me?”

Peter shook his head again and Tony sighed. “Peter, I just want to fix what’s wrong. If you want me to stay away after this, I’ll go.”

“What? No! I’d never want you to go, Mr Stark!” That fixed his heart a little. 

“Then what’s wrong?”

“It’s just that… everyone has someone.”

“Yeah. So?”

“I just got back, and like, in school, it’s like Ned and Betty are a thing now so he’s spending all his time with her.”

“Oh, so it’s that?” Tony asked, perplexed. Why was he so upset over his best friend having a girlfriend?

“No! Hear me out. Ned’s with Betty, and MJ’s spending time with Brad, and May and Happy are together, and Mr Bucky and Mr Sam, and…and… and you have Morgan and Pepper.”

Then it hit Tony. 

“Everyone has someone, Mr Stark, and I’m just there. Existing. And I…I thought now that you have a family and stuff you wouldn’t need me anymore and I didn’t wanna intrude and be, you know, an awkward fourth wheel and you’ve made so many memories and I’m just this angsty loser from Queens whose been dead five years and…yeah. That.” The tears were flowing freely now, and Tony couldn’t breathe again. Peter was going through so much and hadn’t said anything about it to anyone. 

Dying itself had to be horrifying, but coming back and thinking that everyone had moved on without you? Tony wouldn’t wish that on anyone, especially not his kid. 

“Oh, kid.”

“It’s fine, Mr Stark. Really. It is. You don’t have to stay and listen to my sob story.”

Tony just hugged Peter. Hugged him hard for all those times he’d wished Peter was there to hug him. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into that hug, and he thought he’d got it across when Peter’s head came to rest on his shoulder. He could feel the boy shudder with his sobs, and he reached a hand to wipe the tears off his face.   
“Kid,” he said, still engulfed in the hug. “I’d never forget about you and move on. Never, do you hear me? You are not some random angsty loser from Queens. And yeah, things are different now, but you’ve always been part of my family, right?”

He felt the shuddering stop. “You really mean that?” Peter’s muffled voice came out, and Tony wanted to cry. 

“Always, kid. Since the day I walked into your apartment for the first time.”

“I didn’t think that. I thought…you maybe didn’t wanna see me anymore, cause it’s been five years. I…I thought you’d forgotten.”

He finally broke the hug only to hold Peter’s face inches from his own. “Kid.” He looked into those hazel eyes. “I would never forget about you. No one would. Ever. Do you understand that?”

Peter nodded shakily. “Thank you, Mr Stark.” And hugged him again. This time, Tony welcomed it, kissing Peter’s forehead gently. 

"I thought you were mad at me." Tony finally said. 

"Why on earth would I be mad at you, Mr Stark?"

"Never mind." He loved this kid. Loved him ferociously. 

Half an hour later, Peter started to nod off, head on Tony’s lap. Tony was still stroking his silky hair. He hadn’t stopped since he started half an hour ago. 

“Good night, kid.” He whispered, kissing his forehead. 

“Night. Love you, Mr Stark.” Peter mumbled incoherently, slipping into sleep. 

“Love you too, Peter.” Tony said back. Finally. Things were back to the way they were meant to be.


End file.
